Prince Charming, Reanimator

[GreyWolfVT]

Nothing like Pathfinder sounds good to me

[Raven_Crowking]

Yup. Beta rules are fine, and will not impede character generation in any way. Are we all ready? Then let us begin.

Prince Hubert Charming of Westlake has determined that the long-dead Princess Beauty is only cursed to sleep away the aeons, and he will have her for his bride. His men rounded up a stable of “volunteers” at the beginning of one early autumn morning, and here you are, with what makeshift arms and equipment you had upon you when you were “volunteered”.

Your mission, the Prince’s Bailiff explains, is to enter the ruined castle, find the place where the “Sleeping” Beauty lies, and bring her forth for Prince Charming to restore with a kiss. Those who choose not to go upon this quest must take their chances with the Prince’s Guard, twenty men strong, and be declared outlaw. Those who choose to hazard their lives within the ruined castle may keep what they find, apart from the sleeping princess, but dare not leave without her.

Before you is an avenue of overgrown and tangled forest, thick with thorny vines. Rising from it, you can see an ancient castle, now little more than a tumble of fallen stones. What remains of towers and walls are hard to make out clearly, so deep is the growth of forest and vines, but it is obvious that the castle has been hidden here in the Grimmswood for many generations of men. Before you there are two passages through the undergrowth. That to your left is narrow, but that to the right is much wider and shows signs of recent use.

[GreyWolfVT]

Throm, Bran, Horris & Rob think it is wiser to take the wider more used path. "Only seams right that folks would be walking on a path more commonly and recently used. To be found on a path not used much and narrow would be a disadvantage."

[drpete]

Cedric shrugs, unsure of which way to go "We're looking for a tomb, and I don't think we'll find any friends here, so I don't know if we want to go where others have gone..."

Foxfire moves to examine the paths, and the thorny brush, hoping that her experience as a forester might be useful in finding the safer path to start down, or tell her what has gone before them.

Renlo and Bryce look on, uncertain, but each peers down one of the paths, hoping to see something notable to hang a decision on.

[marshal kt]

Spud, VVagner, Barrelchest and Lat follow down the bigger/wider path.

"Looks like people have been this way before."

[MrHemlocks]

***The Path Toward the Ruins***

Rafo, shrugs his shoulders and looks at his friend and fellow dwarf, Balin. Both nod in agreement to follow the others down the wide path.

Tarpy, waves goodbye to his family. Places on one of his work gloves and follows the two dwarves. "Boy! I just know I am going to make it big this time! I should at least make enough cash to start that custom glove shop I been dreaming about."

Tuck, tightens up his boots and follows the others along the beaten path to what waits ahead for them in the old ruins.

[Raven_Crowking]

Foxfire notes that there are the tracks of many men and horses headed up the larger path, all fairly recently, but he can only find a very few booted tracks returning, and those on foot.

For those who go forward immediately, the wide trail leads into a large clearing, filled with tumbled ruined stones and the bones of men and horses. Before you is a great ruined wall, draped by enormous tangled vines. A gap in the wall, some 10 feet wide, is to the west. To the east, an ancient tower stands, which can be entered through a narrow crack – anyone larger than a halfling would need to enter on hands and knees to go this way. The thorny vines tangle in and among the bones and rocks, with red roses blooming over all.

[marshal kt]

Umm. is the large opening at the end of the wide path, or 10' away from it?

[GreyWolfVT]

"Hmm maybe we chose the incorrect path." Bran says scratching his head.
"You might be right." Rob chimes in.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Throm disagrees.
Horris just stands there and shrugs then looks around "Did all of the others follow us or did others take the other path? Perhaps we should go back and take the other path or at least make sure to stick together."

[drpete]

Foxfire tells those who hesitated "Many have gone this way recently, but very few have come out. Watch your step..."

Bryce remains chipper. "The good thing about not being first is that if someone else went ahead, at least the next few steps are alright..."

Bryce and Cedric, the farmers, and Renlo, the herder follow the Foxfire, the elven forester, leadinv their animals the wide path to the clearing. When they get there, Foxfire will look to see if the tracks go through the hole in the wall, or mostly stop in the clearing.

Bryce will call out to those that went ahead "What do you guys think? Find anything, yet?"

[MrHemlocks]

Stopping in their tracks after hearing the report from Foxfire, Rafo, Tarpy, Balin and Tuck reconsider the road least traveled the safest. They wait to see which group heads toward the castle via the narrow path and will follow. Rafo, points to the three other men nearest him. "We been doing some thinking an agree that narrow path is the better one. We will follow any group headed on it. What you says?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Bran, Horris, Rob & Throm turn around and go back towards the narrow path with Throm grumbling the entire way.

[drpete]

The farmers following Foxfire don't immediately turn around, but continue their investigation of the clearing.

[Raven_Crowking]

If you went back to the clearing, and then up the narrow path:

You see the Bailiff, who guffaws, the soldiers (who seem somewhat nervous for the most part, but a few are relaxed) and the Prince (who gazes at you dispassionately from his watery blue eyes).

The narrow path pushes into a clearing before a broken stone wall. Large red roses grow in clusters around the gap in the wall and the rubble of fallen stones. The gap is about five feet wide, and choked with fallen stone, but it widens higher up the wall, and you should be able to scramble over the top into whatever lies beyond.

The fragrant smell of roses fills the clearing, and the drone of bees, attracted to the flowers, breaks the stillness. Somewhere in the distance you hear the harsh cawing of a raven.

If you stayed to search the first area:

The bones seem to be of men and a few horses. Although clearly recent on investigation, they have been stripped of flesh. It is clear that they attained the clearing before whatever happened to them happened - one is still within the stone gap to the castle beyond. You can see a longsword sticking out of the rubble near him, just inside the gap.

The narrow crack leads into a tower, to the right of the larger gap.

Searching the area, you uncover 12 short swords, a helmet, and a backpack that seems to be in good condition. Moreover, Bryce the radish farmer seems to be having uncommonly good luck - a hollow sound beneath his boot turns out to be a wooden trapdoor covered under vines and earth, an iron ring allowing it to be pulled open if you so choose.

[GreyWolfVT]

Bran "Alright this looks safer. I suppose." looking at the wall with the 5' opeing on the narrow path.
Horris "I'd never say anything was safer thats always when things go wrong."
Throm "Alright so make a choice we go over here or we go back and deal with the grimmer sights back the other way where most everyone else went."
Rob says nothing and begins to go over the wall at the narrow path. He will stop at the top and let the other three know what he can see from up there.

[Raven_Crowking]

Beyond the broken place in the wall, you can see an enormous area filled with cracked paving stones, what was once the main courtyard of this castle. To the south can be seen the great doors that once protected the barbican, now hanging askew, but so thick with vines and vegetation that they are less passable than when they once guarded the castle entrance. Various doors, to outbuildings or other sections of the castle, can be seen, but many are choked with rubble. Some few others are still intact. To the northeast, a set of steps leads at a 45° angle to what appears to be an upper courtyard. Trees and vines have grown here as well, offering plenty of concealment for hidden enemies. Everywhere is the cloying scent of roses.

[GreyWolfVT]

Rob "Alright the other side is clear if you all wish to come over." he says to Bran, Horris and Throm. They begin climbing over to the other side. Once they are on the other side of the wall they will search the area.

[drpete]

Unsure what killed the man with the longsword, Cedric attempts to use his pitchfork to drag the longsword over to himself without going near the corpse or under the arch. Foxfire searches the backpack for valuables before putting it on, and Renlo grabs up a short sword and the helmet. Bryce, meanwhile, attempts to clear the vines away from the trapdoor with his pitchfork without touching the vines.

Once this is done, Renlo will attempt to pull open the trapdoor.

[MrHemlocks]

***Crack In The Wall***

Balin, will smell the air for any gold or precious gems about. While Tuck, Rafo and Tarpy chop at some of the over grown vines near the entrance of the wall. Not a one of these scared villagers will enter the opening...yet. For all are on high alert of a possible ambush.

Rafo, mutters to himself. "I do not trust these creepy vines and all these roses about. It is like they will attack us at any moment. Ha, I am glad I am not in that courtyard with the others."

[marshal kt]

VVagner, looks over the plants, bushes and such along the path; hoing to find something to use in his ritual.

Spud, watches VVagner and says, "What'cha make of all these fancy flowers?"

Barrelchest looks over the Helmet and short swords. If the helmet is isn't taken, Hell take it. He'll also take a shortsword. "A spare can't hurt."

Lat watches the Dwarf and says, [if the Dwarf took the helmet], "Hey who says you can have that I want it. I'll throw you for it."

Barrelchest responds, "You touch me and I'll show you who's gettin' tossed." Then he realizes that the human meant to throw odds or evens, and says, "Oh. Ok."

[drpete]

Renlo shrugs. "The helmet's yours if you go first, how's that sound?"

[marshal kt]

Barrelchest says, "We'll all throw for it."

OOC: do we have a dice roller available?

[drpete]

Renlo shakes his head. "I'll trade it... For the torch, if you won't go first."

[Raven_Crowking]

Just so that I am clear, can you tell me who is on the narrow way, and who on the wide.

[drpete]

My guys, Renlo, Foxfire, Cedric and Bryce, are in the clearing at the end of the wide, clear way.